Conservation is the Key our 18-day environmental community service learning program in the beautiful Florida Keys. Join us as we become PADI scuba certified divers and volunteer with local scientists and conservationists on constructing an underwater coral reef nursery. Putting our passion for marine biology to work, we explore the Everglades and surrounding waters by sea kayak, we swim with dolphins, and we snorkel the fauna rich waters. Click on Read More to learn more about our summer program diving in Florida and how you can make a real, positive and lasting impression on the seascape.

Watch this video of our group at the Turtle Hospital!

Seventeen hundred islands divide the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico in a gentle arc extending off the southern coast of Florida. Surrounded by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, these waters contain some of the largest coral reefs in the world. With some of the rarest plant and animal species on the planet, this is one of the most important ecosystems our country has to offer. Manatees, whales, sea turtles, dolphins, seals, crocodiles and hundreds of other endangered species call this area home. The history of the Keys glitters with romantic tales of pirates and fortunes gleaned from shipwrecks, and we explore how this ecosystem has sustained itself for ages.

Upon arrival into Fort Lauderdale, we head south down the famed U.S. Highway 1 to our home base on Key Largo. The calm waters surrounding us provide the perfect place to get comfortable in the water and with our gear. Under the watchful eye of a lifelong Keys environmentalist, we obtain PADI SCUBA certification and learn free dive and snorkel techniques. These provide the necessary foundation for our service work in the Keys.

Each year, scores of people visit the Keys, the third largest coral reef system in the world. Unfortunately, as the Keys grow in popularity, so does harm to the delicate ecosystem. Divers and snorkelers enticed by their beauty and fishermen attracted by abundant opportunities jeopardize their vitality. The careless toss of an anchor can destroy years of coral growth and native seagrass in just minutes. These areas are in constant need of protection.

We work with a local Keys expert on a variety of water-based projects relating to the protection and restoration of staghorn coral reef, learning along the way about this delicate ecosystem. Thickets of reef building staghorn coral that used to cover acres in the Florida Keys have dwindled to occasional isolated colonies, dramatically altering the ecology of this economically and biologically important ecosystem. With multiple stressors including disease, climate change and water quality, Florida’s imperiled reefs are shifting from coral-dominated communities towards algae-dominated hardbottom communities. These shifts are creating increasingly difficult conditions for natural recovery of once healthy coral reef communities.

For four days, our project sites will be underwater in the coral nursery and reef restoration areas located near Molasses Reef. Our work includes mounting new coral and expanding the nursery to accommodate future additions of coral. Some participants may be taking measurements and recording scientific data, while others may be anchoring steel rods into the ocean floor. For two days we continue our work, facing a new threat to the rich native biodiversity: invasion by non-native species. Invasive species can spread into natural areas, and once established, can grow and reproduce so rapidly that they out compete, damage and displace the native plants. Side by side with local rangers, we remove non-native species introduced intentionally or accidentally by humans.

Weekends take us to Everglades National Park, an International Biosphere Reserve and the only subtropical preserve in North America. Guided by a local expert, we explore this area of vast mangrove forests, rivers and cypress swamps by kayak, searching for rare and endangered species such as the American crocodile, Florida panther, manatee, brown pelican, southern bald eagle, and loggerhead turtle as we soak up the tropical sun.

We then kayak around North Key Largo and with masks, fins and snorkels ready, we dive into the waters famous for their abundance of fish. Observing impressive ocean life, from schools of blue-striped grunts to toothy green moray eels, we understand why some of the world’s most renowned underwater photographers and writers call this part of the Florida Keys home. Our final day is dedicated to one of the most intelligent mammals of the sea, the dolphin. After a tour of a dolphin-assisted therapy clinic serving children with developmental and physical disabilities, we will take to the waters for a swim with these highly sophisticated and playful marine mammals. We celebrate with one final feast before leaving, knowing unquestionably, conservation is the key.

Settling In

Arrival in Ft. Lauderdale; transfer to accommodations on Key Largo; orientation and swim tests at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Our Work

Four day PADI Scuba open water diver course; four day underwater service project near Molasses Reef; two day service project removing invasive species of plants.

Our Play

Sea kayak and explore the Everglades and North Key largo; visit the Sea Turtle Hospital; explore Key West; enjoy Bahia Honda State Park; swim with dolphins.

El Fin

Final banquet with our Scuba instructors; transfer to Ft. Lauderdale airport; homeward bound.

52 - 60 Hours of Environmental Service: Coral Reef Restoration, Fish Identification Study, Environmental Service

Dolphin Swim: Key Largo

A Certificate of Service indicating 52-60 hours worked will be issued upon completion of the program.

8 - 12

18

$4,850 - Airfare not included

Ft. Lauderdale, FL